The Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, Wednesday affirmed Prof. Greg Ibe as the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, in Abia State.
An aspirants, Gen. Ijioma Ijioma had dragged Prof. Ibe to court seeking to cancel the party’s May 29, 2022 governorship primary that produced him over allegation of manipulation, influence, use of thugs and financial inducement, among others.
He also claimed that Professor Ibe was still a member of the Peooles Democratic Party, PDP, when he emerged as APGA governorship candidate, and that he had allegedly participated in PDP’s governorship primary held on May 25.
Delivering judgement on the matter, the Presiding Judge, Justice Evelyn Anyadike, held that the plaintiff failed to prove how Professor Ibe was given undue advantage.
On the plaintiff’s claims that Ibe influenced the delegates by buying sienna cars for all the party local government chairmen, the court held that the action was not in any way different from the admittance by Ijioma, that he (Ijioma), provided coaster buses which conveyed over 200 delegates to the venue of the primary.
The court equally held that the plaintiff could not produce any admissible evidence to prove that Professor Ibe was still a member of the PDP, when he emerged APGA flag bearer.
Justice Anyadike had told the court that she got a phone call the night before, threatening her not to deliver the judgement.
However, she warned those behind the threat to retrace their steps, vowing that no amount of intimidation will stop her from discharging her duties.
” I’m under oath to dispense justice without fear or favour, and no man born of woman will stop me from doing my job”.
Meanwhile, the plaintiff in an interview with newsmen, dismissed the judgement as a miscarriage of justice and vowed to appeal it.
Aslo speaking, the Defendant, Prof. Ibe, acknowledged the judgement, as “a victory for the oppressed and impoverished Abians” who he had come to liberate from the shackles of underdevelopment.
He said that his entry into politics was for total emancipation of Abia State for economic recovery and human capital development
